Short Summary

THE LATEST ROUND OF FORMAL TALKS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION ON NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTIONS AND SPACE WEAPONS BEGINS IN GENEVA, ON JANUARY 15.

Description

THE LATEST ROUND OF FORMAL TALKS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION ON NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTIONS AND SPACE WEAPONS BEGINS IN GENEVA, ON JANUARY 15. THE MEETING FOLLOWS A ROW OVER WHAT WAS AGREED BETWEEN PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN AND SOVIET LEADER MIKHAIL GORBACHEV IN REYKJAVIK IN MID-OCTOBER. THE SUMMIT FOUNDERED ON THE U.S. INSISTING THAT IT WOULD NOT GIVE UP THE CHANCE TO DEVELOP THE 'STAR WARS' SPACE WARFARE TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS. BUT BEFOREHAND THE TWO LEADERS HAD PROPOSED SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN NUCLEAR ARMS. THE DISCUSSIONS ARE IN THE HANDS OF CHIEF NEGOTIATIONS MAX KAMPELMAN FOR THE U.S. AND VIKTOR KARPOV FOR THE SOVIET UNION. SINCE THE LAST FORMAL SESSION OF TALKS ENDED IN GENEVA ON NOVEMBER 12, SUPERPOWER RELATIONS HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE U.S. BREACHING THE STRATEGIC ARMS LIMITS LAID DOWN IN THE UNRATIFIED SALT-II TREATY AND MOSCOW HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL END ITS 16-MONTH MORATORIUM ON WEAPONS TESTING IF THE U.S. CONTINUES ITS TESTING PROGRAMME.